Patience and Persistence

I'm musing this morning on the difficulty of discerning truth. Whether it be truth in advertising, truth in the media, truth from my children, or truth within my life, the quest is often daunting and frustrating. We all search for truth in our daily lives. Whether it be in determining political choices, investing time or resources or our gifts in some worth while cause, coming to grips with life choices, we are constantly evaluating input and trying to discern what is true. We want to believe "reputable" sources to deliver truth to us, but we have seen with the rise of the internet that truth can be even more ephemeral than before (e.g., Invisible Children). Some have given up in the search for truth altogether. Others have stated that truth belongs to the individual - "what's true for me is what matters". In the post modern world that we inhabit, the rampant individualism that characterizes this age seems to opt for the least common denominator or the easiest possibility. I shouldn't have to feel uncomfortable not knowing - I can anesthetize mmyself with an easy answer from Google on my smart phone. Don't worry about what is actually true, listen to what I have to say as I tug at your heart strings or constantly repeat the same propaganda until you believe me. Where has the ability to hold the tension of the search for truth gone? We seem to be awash in the quick fix and the sound bite. Where is the content of character which brings the strength of patience and persistence in the face of the unknown? Where is the support for the search for truth? Character comes from believing and living truths bigger than ourselves. It used to come from communities which were populated by principled people. Communities that held each other accountable for the common good. Communities where faith and belief in something ultimate and powerful and mysterious held sway. These communities allowed the time to hold the tension in order to discern the truth. In a world where mysteries are solved in no more than 60 minutes, it is easy to see how we've been mislead to think that finding the truth is quick and easy. What truths are you searching for? What "unknowing" haunts your days and nights? Is it a search for meaning and purpose? Is it a search for belonging and real relationship(s)? Is your search for truth a reaction to living in a sound bite world where everything in reduced to trivia and to individual mandate? The show X-Files used to say, "The truth is out there...", but in order to find it you have to go looking. I believe that you can find your way to the truth, and to the patience and persistence for the journey, in the loving arms of a faith community. Why don't you give one a try this week. Peace for the journey, Dan